DEMOREST, Ga. - The East Division tournament Champion NC Wesleyan Softball team fell just short 8-6 to West Champ Piedmont College in their quest to win the USA South conference title on Sunday afternoon.
The Lady Bishops finish their stellar season 20-17 on the year while Piedmont improved to 22-11. The 20-win campaign was the 4th in the past 6 seasons for head coach John Brackett and 13th 20-win season in his career.
Wesleyan got out to a great start in game three with all-tournament team member, senior CF Nichole Mooney starting the game off with a leadoff triple before scoring on fellow all-tournament team SS Meredith Mize's sacrifice fly. The Bishops then added three runs in the third inning to get out to a 4-0 lead. Junior LF and all-tournament team selection, Logan Winstead, drove in Mooney with her RBI single after Mooney had doubled before Mize doubled in Winstead for the third Bishop run of the game. Mize then came around to score on Kayla Molivas' batted ball that forced an error from Piedmont.
The Lady Bishops' 4-0 lead was short-lived, however, as PC finally got to Bishop starter and all-tournament team selection, Beth Braswell for 5 runs in the bottom of the third including 4 coming on a grand slam from tournament MVP Emma McBrayer.
Wesleyan, though, would not quit and came back to tie the game at 5 in the 4th inning as senior catcher and all-tournament team selection Summer Phillips scored on a fielder's choice. Piedmont then came right back with three more runs in the 4th on two doubles and a single to take an 8-5 lead.
Senior 2B Meredith Booth then singled in new pitcher Grace Preston in the 6th to cut the Lady Lion's lead down to two at 8-6, but that would be the closest Wesleyan would get the rest of the game even as consecutive two-out walks in the 7th proved to be no match for Piedmont reliever McBrayer.
Mooney led the offense with a double and a triple while Phillips and Booth also tallied two-hit games at the bottom of the order.
Braswell finishes the season 18-6 on the year with the tough defeat as she threw 4 innings allowing 8 runs (6 earned) on 11 hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Preston then finished the game throwing two scoreless innings. Braswell completes the year with 18 wins tying a school record, along with a 1.43 ERA and 157 strikeouts, one shy of tying pitching coach Libby Fulford for most in a season.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
C - Summer Phillips, N.C. Wesleyan
1B - Mackenzie Davis, Piedmont
2B - Anna Vaughn, Huntingdon
3B - Kaitlyn Isley, Piedmont
SS - Meredith Mize, N.C. Wesleyan
OF - Nichole Mooney, N.C. Wesleyan
OF - Rebekah Stegmayer, Piedmont
OF - Logan Winstead, N.C. Wesleyan
Util/DP - Emma McBrayer, Piedmont (MVP)
P - Beth Braswell, N.C. Wesleyan
P - Martina Maloch, Piedmont